Typical 24: Orla Cox, Senior Manager, Security Response, Symantec

IDG Connect is looking to speak to IT, business and marketing professionals across the spectrum to discover more about their very different, typical working days...

Name: Orla Cox

Job title: Senior Manager, Security Response

Company: Symantec

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Years’ experience: 17

What time do you reach the office each day? Usually between 8.30am and 9.00am

Is your job varied? Very much so. We’re responsible for responding to cyber threats and attacks, which are constantly evolving.

Is your job creative? Somewhat creative – I’m always looking for new and interesting ways in which we can share information about the internet threat landscape

What do you spend the majority of your time doing? Trying to identify new threats, attacks and trends that we can research and write about.

Do you personalise your desk? No

Would you describe yourself as creative? Somewhat creative – I like being different and not going along the norm.

Do you have any quirky daily rituals? Checking deals websites like Groupon every morning – I’d hate to miss a bargain!

Do you tend to work on your own or with colleagues? With colleagues – everything is a team effort.

How many hours on average do you work a day? 10-11 hours

Roughly how much time do you spend each day on email? Taking calls? In meetings? Morning is spent on email. So about 3-4 hours. Afternoon is meetings and calls – about 4 hours. The rest of my time is spent working on projects or presentations

Do you use social media much for work? Yes – Twitter is essential for keeping up to date and to see what’s trending. I’m constantly flicking through it on my phone.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I like that it’s dynamic and varied – no two days are the same. I also enjoy working with a bunch of very talented and interesting people.

What type of music (if any) do you listen to at work? I prefer working in silence. Music is saved for relaxing or running. And then it’s anything from electronic to rock to hip hop.

What do you do for lunch? I head down to the staff canteen with my colleagues.

Do you socialise with work colleagues? On occasion – it’s lessened through the years.

Are there any tasks (through your career) you’ve been especially glad to get rid of? Removing destructive computer viruses in the late 90s. It’s not easy instructing people how to boot from a floppy disk over the phone!

What is your last task of your day? Usually a call with the US before I leave the office. I also do a quick check of email before I go to bed so that I can sleep with a clear conscience!

How do you like to relax after work? Running, cooking, and listening to music.

Do you keep checking email through the evening? Yes – quick check of email on my phone every couple of hours.

Do you take work projects home with you? Rarely. I work better in the office so I prefer to work late if I need to get something done. However as attacks are constantly occurring I have to keep up with developments outside of the office. I usually rely on Twitter for this.

What would you say to your 20-year old self? Don’t stress about what you want to do as a career. It’ll happen naturally.

If you could try out any job for a day, what would you choose? Radio DJ – I like music and talking. And I especially like talking about music.